C’est la Vie Summer! Recipes to end the season right

So the last dew days of summer of among us, and it’s time to throw one last summer night dinner party. Let’s do this dinner right: get the grill out, throw on your chef’s hat, and crack open your favorite beer. Let’s make this menu delicious and simple, because let’s face it, even a chef wants a night off to enjoy the food they make!

This meal will make you look like a star, and make sure your guests bring the drinks and appetizers, because the cook deserves it!

Grilled lamb chops and mint chimichurri sauce

Ingredients

4 racks of lamb- each rack should have about 6-8 lamb ribs. (it’s a big party, so go big!) plus left overs are never a bad thing.

Veg oil- enough to coat the lamb

Salt and pepper

Chimichurri sauce

1 bunch of mint- about 2 cups chopped up

1 cup chopped parsley

5 garlic cloves chopped fine

Zest of 2 oranges

1/2 cup olive olive

Assembly

Season lamb with the salt, pepper, and oil. Grill on both sides for about 4 minutes. That will give you a medium rare. Grill longer for less red on the inside.

In a blender combine all chimichurri ingredients after chopping and mix with the oil. It should be a loose sauce, so if it too thick add more oil. Fat equals flavor-never forget. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Put lamb aside covered with foil. Set aside chimichurri. Let’s finish this dish and we can assemble everything in the end.

Beer braised red cabbage

Ingredients

3 heads of red cabbage, sliced like you were making coleslaw.

Veg oil- enough to sauté cabbage with (1/4 of a cup should be good)

Salt and pepper

1-2 bottles of your favorite dark lager. The darker, the better the flavor (this app is to everything in life really).

Assembly

In a large sauté pan or medium pot heat the veg oil on medium.

Add cabbage.

Season with salt and pepper.

Once the cabbage starts softening pour the beer in so that it cover about 1/3 of the cabbage.

Cook on medium low heat unless beer is almost evaporated.

Taste, and re-season for flavor.

Set aside covered.

Creamy roasted garlic spinach

Ingredients

2 large bags of spinach

Veg oil for bottom of pot

1 head of garlic-split down the middle, coated with veg oil, wrapped in foil, and tossed in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Do this when you start the diner so you don’t have to wait for it when you ready to make the fee touches to your dinner.

1 quart of cream.

1/4 of a lb of cream cheese

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

What to do:

In a large sauté pan or medium pot head heat the veg oil.

Put the 2 bags of spinach in, and start to wilt it down. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the spinach starts to wilt, pour in cream, cream cheese, scoop out roasted garlic into pot and stir.

Once the cream reduces, the spinach should be completely wilted. Taste for seasoning.

Add parmesan last right before you serve.

The dinner table assembly

Slice lamb rib into individual pieces and layer on serving dish rows of the yummy meat.

Pour mint chimichurri over lamb- not too much, enough to still see the meat and reserve the rest for anyone who wants extra.

Remove cabbage with tongs from pot into serving dish.

Remove spinach into serving dish, garnish with left over Parmesan cheese.

Now it’s time for one last summer dinner. Serve with the same beer you cooked with as well as the other bevies your guests have brought you!

It’s filling, yummy, and will make you forget that you didn’t have a summer break!